Interview: Lauren Asher talks Final Offer, tropes and more

Sometimes you stumble upon an author and realize you don’t know how you haven’t picked them up before. To me, Lauren Asher fits that bill because her Dreamland Billionaires series was one I couldn’t get enough of in 2022.

If you don’t recognize Lauren Asher’s name, you might recognize some of the books she’s published including the Dreamland Billionaires series and the Dirty Air series. Both of these are widely popular and beloved, but the Dreamland Billionaires series holds a special place in my heart.

To me, there is something so comforting about these books. Even though most of the series follows some harder topics and characters dealing with hard truths, the romances are great and the cast of characters is lovable. That’s why when I was given the opportunity to talk to Lauren, I couldn’t say no.

If you’re getting excited about Final Offer or just want to know more about Lauren Asher, then our Q&A is exactly the treat you need before Final Offer comes out.

Lauren Asher talks about Final Offer, inspiration, and more in our interview.

Before getting into our interview, I’d like to thank Bloom Books for setting this up and Lauren Asher for her time. She’s such a lovely person and I’m more than ecstatic about the success she’s having. With that being said, I’m sure you’re excited to hear what she had to say.

Culturess: I was shocked to realize you’ve only been publishing books since 2020 and you’ve already published two series. What made you decide to start writing and publishing romance books?

Lauren Asher: Time really does fly when you’re having fun because it feels like I just published Throttled last month rather than three years ago. My love for romance books and my interest in Formula 1 was one of the biggest motivators I had for writing a book of my own. I’ve read so many sports romances over the years, and I really wanted to take a chance on creating my own racing world that focused on glitz, glam, and romance.

Culturess: Your upcoming release is Final Offer which is book 3 in your Dreamland Billionaires series so I have to ask are you a Disney fan and if so, what inspired you to write a series centered around a similar establishment?

Lauren Asher: I grew up in Florida, so visiting theme parks with family during holiday breaks was always a fun idea. While I’m a fan of Disney World, as I got older, I ended up really loving Islands of Adventure because of the rides.

Back in 2021 before I wrote The Fine Print, I watched a ton of videos on theme parks, including ones about how they function behind-the-scenes and the history behind certain rides and lands. I was inspired to create a theme park that catered to children and adults alike and combine all the elements I loved in my favorite parks into one place: Dreamland.

Culturess: The Dreamland Billionaires series follows the three Kane brothers who are dealing with a challenge. While I won’t spoil Cal’s request in Final Offer, how did you come up with such a genius idea?

Lauren Asher: I always knew I wanted Cal and Lana to reunite, but the idea of how wasn’t decided upon until I got around to writing his story. Originally, I was headed in the direction of another office romance but a last-minute idea I bounced off my mom turned it into the small-town romance.

Culturess: One thing I absolutely adore about this series is the illustrated covers for the paperback editions, especially the colors. Do you give an idea of what the covers look like or anything you want to be added?

Lauren Asher: My designer, Mary, is the true mastermind behind the covers. Back when we were discussing ideas for The Fine Print cover, I told her I wanted it to be blue for blueprints and feature a castle for Dreamland. Once I saw her draft, I knew we had our cover. For the other two books, it was much easier to decide on the colors and feature sketch on the front.

Culturess: Without giving away any details about Final Offer, I will say that it’s unlike the previous two installments in the series. Did you always know that was how Cal’s story was going to be?

Lauren Asher: I had a general idea of the main trope (second chance), which I had decided upon when I wrote The Fine Print, but I had no idea Final Offer would end up becoming a childhood friends-to-lovers-to-strangers plot featuring a small lake town. As I started writing the story, the plot clicked into place and I knew it was the right choice for Cal and Lana.

Culturess: Final Offer tells such a beautiful love story within its pages but it’s not without some emotional moments, too. How did you juggle writing such a hard-fought love story with a lot of character development?

Lauren Asher: It is my favorite kind of challenge because I love eliciting strong emotions with my stories through the eyes of my characters. I want readers to kick their feet and giggle to themselves almost as much as I want them to be moved emotionally from the angsty, hard-to-read scenes.

Culturess: I’m sure a lot of us are going to have a book hangover after finishing Final Offer. Do you have any recommendations for books you’d suggest reading after it?

Lauren Asher: I would recommend picking up Powerless by Elsie Silver, which is coming out on February 10th.

Culturess: Last but certainly not least, I have to ask if you have anything on the horizon. Any new series you’re working on that you can tease us with?

Lauren Asher:  I am excited to be working on a new series that will be a part of the Dreamland/Dirty Air universe.

Once again, I’d like to thank Lauren Asher for sitting down with me. As someone who has read Final Offer, I will say that this is easily the best book of hers yet. You’ll have to wait until Tuesday to find out my thoughts on the final Dreamland Billionaires book, though.

Final Offer by Lauren Asher is releasing on January 31st, 2023. 

Are you excited about the release of Final Offer? Do you have a favorite book of hers? Be sure to let us know in the comments.